ISU vs. Carleton College

Should I go to Iowa State University or Carleton College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Carleton College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Iowa State University vs. Carleton College comparison
Iowa State University Carleton College College 3 College 4
Iowa State University Carleton College
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Overview

ISU Carleton College
Location Ames, IA Northfield, MN
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 29,969 2,059
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #352 #39
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu carleton.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU Carleton College
Tuition (In State) $8,678 $62,244
Tuition (Out of State) $25,162 $62,244
Room & Board $9,358 $15,990
Avg Net Price $15,310 $31,494
Avg Grant Aid $11,043 $46,821
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 60%

Admission

ISU Carleton College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,919 8,583
Admitted 19,776 1,427
Acceptance Rate 90.2% 16.6%
Enrolled % 29% 37.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 21/28 32/35
SAT Range 1090/1350 1430/1550
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2025

Academics

ISU Carleton College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Physical Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

ISU Carleton College
Graduation Rate 68% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $65,600
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $246 $201

Diversity

ISU Carleton College
% Men 55% 50%
% Women 45% 50%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 63%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 7% 10%
% Unknown Race 5% 2%

Students

ISU Carleton College
% In-State 52% 17%
% Out-of-State 45% 73%

Campus

ISU Carleton College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than Carleton College based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 2,059 students)

ISU vs. Carleton College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Carleton College?

  • Carleton College is 617.3% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($62,244.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 147.4% higher at Carleton College than Iowa State University ($62,244.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than Carleton College ($15,310 vs. $31,494)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 70.9% lower than costs at Carleton College ($9,358 vs. $15,990)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iowa State University than Carleton College (80% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carleton College students is 324% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($46,821 vs. $11,043)

ISU vs. Carleton College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ISU or Carleton College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Carleton College or ISU .

  • The average SAT score at Carleton College (1400) is 258 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming Carleton College students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman Carleton College students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at ISU (3.7)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than Carleton College (16.6%)

ISU vs. Carleton College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Carleton College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Carleton College and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at Carleton College is higher than Iowa State University (93% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Carleton College earn on average $11,900 more per year than ISU graduates after ten years. ($65,600 vs. $53,700)
  • Carleton College students graduate with a $4,368 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $23,868)
  • Carleton College graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($201 vs. $246)
  • More Carleton College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ISU students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 74%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/